(Forgotten Empire Records)
Genre: Progressive Metalcore akin to Twelve Tribes or old Deftones..
Interviewed on: 8/30/08
From: Yorktown Heights, NY
www.myspace.com/swallowtheocean
1. How you guys doin? You guys are from New York, how is the music scene up there now?
I’m doing alright. I’m from CT, the rest of the band is from NY. I’d say that the music scene in CT and NY are pretty different from each other… or maybe it’s just that NY is a bigger state and I’m more familiar with the music scene in CT cuz I live here. However I’d say that the present economy has had more of an affect on the music scene than the actual music has due to high gas prices, bands sometimes have to be a bit more “choosy” about shows, tour packages not consisting of local/lesser known bands, promoters/venues have also been a little less active or calmed down a bit… That’s probably happening all over. We’ve been a bit less active cuz we’ve been working on new material for our next recording.
My head is just spinning from everything at the moment as I’ve just finished college, took me 7 years and I’m not a doctor hahahahaa. It’s all been a weird balance of being extremely busy or just floating in calm water; being content or discontent which drives us to work harder. “the modern man must hustle”. Music is awesome and everyone should go out and support it and enjoy it.
2. You guys are heading into the studio soon to record? Is the new album titled at all? You guys excited to lay down the tracks?
Yes, we are heading into the studio soon to record. It looks like we’re going to be recording 4 songs, and shop it to labels to release our next cd. The new album is not titled yet as far as I know haha. I’m pretty friggin stoked about it. It’s been tough times as far as scheduling goes, but we’ve all been working hard on the new material. I was not on the band’s first EP as I joined right after it was recorded, so I am definitely looking forward to entering the studio this time around. I feel that our new songs are an intensified yet natural progression from our first EP. It’s gonna be sweeeeeeet.
3. How did you hook up with Forgotten Empire Records?
How did we hook up with Forgotten Empire Records? Hahaa. We had a few offers back around September 2007. I believe our myspace or word of mouth got to Brandon at Forgotten Empire Records and he contacted us. We decided to sign with Forgotten Empire Records because we felt that they really understood our music. We signed to Forgotten Empire Records in October 2007, our cd was released at the end of January 2008. We’ve been in great need of a second pressing since March 2008, and we still haven’t gotten it yet… so that’s how that’s been going hahaha.
4. Any crazy show stories?
I don’t know if this qualifies as “crazy” as it is funny to me, but we played a show at the Peekskill NY Elks Lodge towards the end of October 2007. It being kinda close to Halloween, Rory, Joe, and I went to some family Halloween shindigs before the show. Basically, all I consumed the whole time before the show was pizza, candy, and beer… not a good combination. I was mixing nerds candy in my budlight, which I must admit was a tasty delight, but it is NOT tasty when you’re barfing it up in the elks lodge bathroom right after playing a show hahahahaa.
5. If you guys could tour with three bands, who would they be?
I would love to do a tour with Tiger Flowers, Voyager, and the Perennial cuz they’re amazing bands and all those guys are good friends.. I know it’d be a fun time. Seems realistic too.
6. Have you guys watched the Olympics at all? If so, what sports have you been most interested in?
I really don’t pay attention to sports, but to be honest I’ve been watching the woman’s gymnastics and it’s pretty awesome. It just blows my mind seeing these women doing all these crazy flips. It makes me think “If I could flip like that I’d be a ninja”. I’d be a sweet ninja and I’d just flip and kick ass all day long… I was also pretty stoned when I was watching it with my homies.
7. What's your thoughts on illegal music downloading?
The Pros and Cons of music downloading kind of have equal weight to me. Personally, I like having the actual CD with all the artwork n stuff, I like to support the bands and often some of the CD’s I purchase would be hard to find in the average music store, so it kinda makes it that much more valuable to me. I almost never download music cuz I don’t like to bother using those file sharing programs; fuck that noise. However, downloading music still helps bands gain fan base and getting music to people’s ears, which is awesome and very important. If a band could get by by having all their music available for free then hell yeah I’d be all for it, but that’s not totally realistic.
8. What is your favorite song to play live and why?
We haven’t played our new material much live, but “Hands Folded Eyes to the Sky” is probably my favorite song to play live because Scott has a beard.
9. What are you guys currently listening to?
I am currently listening to…
The Roots – Rising Down
Jedi Mind Tricks – Army of the Pharaohs
Kettel – Myam James Pt. 1
Meshuggah – Obzen
Protest the Hero - Fortress
10. What's next for Swallow The Ocean?
Record so we can find a better label to release it. Hopefully be able to tour sometime next year. Play shows and rock out with friends, high fives, laugh, drink brass monkey, smoke weed, work hard.
11. Any shoutouts?
Tupac and Biggie, one love… oh and check out La Cosa Nostra from Mahopac, NY www.myspace.com/lacosanostra44, and Jacobi Wichita they’re so friggin awesome.
